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Just got a surprise rectal exam...

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 2/11/2011 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, I think I will go to a ob-gyn next time. On the plus side, my new insurance has kicked in and my physical and pap smear were free since they are "preventative care!"
Posted 2/11/2011 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Well the joke is on the doctor, they only get reimbursed about $5.00 for the rectal exam!

You don't have to have this done, now that you know it's a possibility; just tell them in advance that your GI does this exam.

Sue
Posted 2/11/2011 3:36 AM (GMT 0)
Old Hat said:
" I doubt that any samples collected at home are reliable indicators for this type of test! "

Well, The home test I have been given is like a small mascara wand that screws into an air tight container that has some fluid in it; you collect a bowel movement on paper that stretches across the toilet and then stick the wand into the bowel movement 4 or five times (collecting a sample) and then screw it back into the container which is sealed tight. Honestly I think that would be more reliable then having someone shove their finger up my butt!
Posted 2/11/2011 3:41 AM (GMT 0)
Family practice clinics are convenient "one-stops" for multi-generation families, but I don't consider them suitable for independent working women. I say this having known a conscientious relative who spent many yrs in family practice in southern CA. They are like a "jack-of-all-trades", doing a bit of this & that. It's an o.k. venue for treating cuts, sprains, bronchitis, & assessing emergencies, but I find internists better for dealing with major organs & gyno referrals. Internists usually have some secondary focus, such as cardiology or infectious diseases, that seems to make them more amenable to patients' questions/need for conversation. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)
Posted 2/11/2011 3:47 AM (GMT 0)
Old Hat, This I agree with you on. I see an internist and have a great amount of respect for the practice. I switched when the family practice doctor misdiagnosed my daughter's brain tumor as "diffused sinus pain" and "clinical masked depression" (when she was vomiting daily and sleeping all the time, not to mention the headaches, double vision). She started seeing the internist first and I followed, after more then 10 years at the family practice. The internist practice is much more professional.
Posted 2/11/2011 3:51 AM (GMT 0)
Where do you find an internist? Are they only at teaching hospitals? Thanks for the info.
Posted 2/11/2011 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
I think you can look them up in the yellow pages (old school) or online under Internal Medicine. I just googled locally and "Internal Medicine Doctors + my city/state" brought up a list of practices/doctors. If you have a serious health condition I think it is good choice. Mine even has the bone scanning machine that checks for osteoporosis. Each doctor has their own individual nurse/assistant that you can leave messages for if you need an appointment or have a question. They have a lab with several nurses taking blood, throat cultures, etc. With insurance it is not any more costly then a Family Practice. I have noticed many elderly people in the waiting area, never small children... I guess that is more the clientele that has ongoing health issues. My daughter was 17 when she first went there and she is now 22. She is the youngest person I have ever seen there. I don't know if this is the norm for internist or not, just something I have noticed.
Posted 2/11/2011 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
Beeswax, my gastro subspecializes in IBD treatment, and therefore knows best how to check for occult blood in feces, and how often to do a digital exam, considerately and discreetly. This is not your average PCP "finger-up-the-butt" approach, which, I agree with you, cannot be trusted and, moreover, seems unnecessarily intrusive. My gastro understands that IBD patients dislike being probed unless absolutely necessary for diagnosis/accurate monitoring of condition! **********Sara, there is likely an online directory of physicians practicing in your state, which should give a breakdown by specialty and/or county. Look for an internist who is "board-certified". (ABIM is the abbreviation for internal medicine certification, in case you encounter this in a list.) Internists I have seen routinely treat patients aged 18 and older. / Old Hat (30 yrs with left-sided UC; presently in remission taking brandname Colazal)

Post Edited (Old Hat) : 2/10/2011 9:23:07 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 2/11/2011 4:32 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks, OldHat and beeswax!
Posted 2/11/2011 6:39 PM (GMT 0)
This totally shocked me. I can't believe some one who is a doctor would do something without permission. Normally they discuss what they are going to check before the do something. I would feel a bit uncomfortable with that being done. Personally I wouldn't go back to that doctor again.
Posted 2/12/2011 12:15 AM (GMT 0)
My internist does my pap and includes this in the exam. I remind him EVERY year NOT to do a rectal exam. My GI is keen on this exam also and I believe more qualified. Both my internist and GI are older. The worst rectal exam was during a severe flare and the pain was extreme. Since that extraordinary painful exam, NO ONE will touch me without express permission.
Posted 2/12/2011 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Yeah, I'm going to make sure I ask in the future before getting a pap smear if they do this. She didn't give me any warning...just said I'm going to check your rectum now as she was putting her finger in my butt.
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